Dispensing cap



Apnl 9, 1940. J Q'BOYLE 2,196,721

DfsPENs ING GAP Filed April 28, 1938 INVENTOR. JAMES Cf Bow. E."

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNTED STATES PATENT FQCE 2,196,721 n oDISPENSINGAP v I- p iai 'James o. Boyle, cincinnati, ohio ApplicationApril 28, 1938, Serial No. 204,835

' 5 Claims.' (C1. azi-117) My invention relates to dispensing caps tobeplaced on containers lled withcoffee or relatively iine ground materialand which dispenses the material from the container in a meshed 5quadrant.

It is an object of' my invention to provide a dispensing cap which isrelatively inexpensive to construct and which dispenses the contentsvvwith the greatest of speed and ease. It is a further object of myinvention to provide a dispensing Acap wherein the amount of materialmeasured and dispensed may be Varied.-

' It is a further objectof my invention to provide a dispensing cap withall of the above features and in which the relative moving parts are allresilient in contact with each other to prohibit any leakage of thematerial being dispensed or jamming of the parts.

These and other objects of my invention which Will be set forthhereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon readingthis speciiication, I accomplish by that certain arrangement andconstruction of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplaryembodiment. Reference is now made to the drawing which forms aparthereof, and in whichz.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my dispensing cap mounted on acontainer.

Fig. 2 is a plan section with. parts cut-out of my dispensing cap takenon section -line 2,-2 of Fig. 1. j

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of my dispensing cap taken on the sectionline 3--3 of Fig.` 2.

Fig. 4 is another vertical section of my -dispensing cap taken ion thesection line4-4. of

Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a bottomplate of my dispensing cap.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view with parts broken o away showing the bottomportions of the compartments of my dispensing cap.`

Fig. 7 is a perspective with portions broken away showing the top partof the compartments of any dispensing cap.

45 Briefly in the practice of my invention, I

provide a dispensing cap comprisingtwo substantially opposedcompartmentsv joined together by a blank web and closed at .the tonby acircular panel having an opening vregistrable with the compartments. i fThe lower portions ofthe compartments are` formed by a separate castingwhich is telescopic on the upper part and is urged therefrom by aspring. There is a lower closure panel having an opening registrablewith the bottom of the together. The spring urges the two telescopiccastings of the compartments apart and at the Sametime forces themagainst the upper and lower panel, thus insuring a resilient pressure atall times between both panels and the cast ings against which they bear.An adjusting 5* screw limits the expansion of the telescoping axis andthus, by adjusting the same the depth` of the compartments may bevaried. Referring to 4the drawing, I provide a casting I, whichterminates in two substantially opposed/i6 compartments 2 which inmyexemplary embodiment are substantially in the form of a quadrant. Thesecompartments 2 are joined together by blank webs whichv are also vinthe"l form of quadrants. There is a hollow hub 4, hav- .1:18 ing anannularly opening 5, in its center and with its skirt Ei ruiming dow-nto the bottom. f the compartments 2 in the casting I.' i v Telescoped-onthe annular portions. 'Iof the y casting I, I provide a second casting'having 20 an annular rim 8a which ydeiines by cross ,straps 9, fourquadrants substantially the samesize and shape of the quadrants 3 and 2.`TWO substantially opposed quadrants 2a are left opened whiley the otherquadrants are closed by webs 3a. There are slots I0, in the skirt 6 ofthe hub 4 which permit the insertion'of the straps 9 of the lowercasting 8. rThe annular rim Bw of the casting 8 is-substantially greaterand telescopic aboutthe annular rim 'I of the casting I. There is a hololow hub. II centrally located amongst Athe quadrant of the casting 8,and of smaller diameter and telescopically. within the skirt 6 of thehub 4. The lower casting 8 is telescoped upinto the upper casting I, asis indicated in Figs. 3 andai@5 and in such a mannerl that the'quadrants 2a form the lower part of theA compartmentsvv 2. Within thehub- I I and'seating against its innerface I2 is a spring I3. The otherend ofvthis spring seats within the hub 4s upper face and thus tends tourge the castings I and 8 apart.,-

There is an upper closure plate I4 having a centralhub I5 which ridesover the hubl 4 `and whichcloses the top of the. compartments y.2.

'Ihe plate I4 has anopening of quadrant widthi and registrable with thetops ofthe compartments 2. Integrally with the plate I4 and proj ectingdownwardly through the hubI 4 is a square stem I6. w v I provide a lowerclosureplate I'I inthe formiigo of a circle,of a diameter substantiallythe same as the annular rim 8a.A Thereis an opening liliV j in the formof a quadrant in the plate I1 and I preferably provide a downwardlyprojecting, chute I9 surrounding a portion of the opening I8. 'Ihe lowerplate I'I has an upwardly projecting stem 20 with a square cut-outportion 2| x running longitudinally therethrough. The squarev stem I6tswithin the square hole 2I and thus ythe stems I6 and 2E) will rotatetogether and are 60v axially slidable within each other. The plate I'Iis mounted on the bottom of the casting 8 as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4with the stem 2U projecting up through the hub II and Within the coilsof the spring I3. In assembly, the stems I6 and 20 are so positioned asto place the open- `ing I8 in the lower plate, opposed to andsubstantially from the opening, in the upper plate.

The bolt 22 pierces the plate II and is screwed into the end of thesquare stem I6. There is an adjusting nut 23 on the bolt 22 which variesthe expanding limitations, to which the plates I'I and I4 may be moved.

In my exemplary embodiment, I have provided a groove 25 in the lower rim8a of the casting 8 in which fits an upstanding rim 26 around theperiphery of the plate Il. I also provide the plate Il with a radiallyprojecting handle 2l and preferably with a thumbguard or stop 28.

. v When the upper casting I and the lower casting 8 are telescoped andthe plates II and 4 vplaced in position with the spring I3, within thehubs II and I4, it is apparent that the spring I3 yurges the castings Iand 8 apart by forcing them against the lower plate Il and the upperplate I4. This insures a resilient contact at all times between theplates and the castings.

.From the above construction, it is apparent lthat when the opening inthe upper plate is registering with one compartment 2, the opening I8,in the lower plate is registered with the bottom of the substantiallyopposed compartment and the solid portions of the plate I4 covers thetop of the compartment 2, which is over the opening I3. It is alsoapparent at this time, that in this position the solid portion of theplate Il covers the compartment 2 'which is opened at the top. Due tothe fact that the connecting webs 3 'are at least as great in size asthe size of` the compartments 2, the rotation of the plates I4 and IItogether will never provide at one time, a compartment 2 with an openingabove and an opening below at the same time.

Inorder to prevent the material in the container riding around on theupper plate I4, I have provided a vane 29 which almost contacts theupper 4portion ofthe plate I6 and is terminated at itscenter with theother terminal held in position on the casting I by means of ngers 30. Ialso provide an upstanding rod 3l which rides around with the upperplate Id.

From the above description it is apparent that due to the telescopingfeature of the castings I and 8, and inasmuch as these castings togetherdene the depth of the compartments 2 and hence their capacity, that theaxial or telescoping movement of the two castings will vary the capacityof the compartments 2. I, therefore, provide a scale 3Il on the outsideof the annular fportion'l of the casting I which indicate the relativemovement of the two castings I and 8, and hence, the relative contentsof, the compartments 2. l

It is, therefore, understood that different forms of my preferred formmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I vclaim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser cap comprising at least two compartments of a givenperipheral configuration and size, said compartments being spaced apartby a blank web atleast as large as the peripheral conguration of thecompartments, an upper and lower closure for said compartmentscomprising plates, at least one opening in each plate of a peripheralconfiguration as great as that of the compartments, the opening in oneplate being registered with one compartment while the opening in theother plate is registered with the other compartment and means formoving said plates together so that their openings will register withsuccessive compartments, the depth of said compartments being adjustablyvariable.

2. A dispenser cap comprising two oppositely least as small as aquadrant and having a depth and being spaced apart by oppositelydisposed substantially sectorial webs, an upper and lower closure forsaid compartments comprising circular plates mounted on and rotatable bya common shaft, an opening in each of said plates of a configurationregistrable with said compartments,- the opening in one plate beingoppositely disposed to the opening in the other plate, means forrotating said shaft and stops co-acting therewith `disposedsubstantially sectorial compartments at to the opening inthe otherplate, means for rotating said shaft and stops co-acting therewith toposition said plates so that the openings are in registry with saidcompartments, the depth of said compartments being adjustably variable,the opening in said lower plate having a chute depending therefrom. I

4. A dispenser cap comprising two oppositely disposed substantiallysectorial compartments at least as small as a quadrant and having adepth and being spaced apart by oppositely disposed substantiallysectorial webs, an upper and lower closure for said compartmentscomprisingcircular plates mounted on and rotatable by a common shaft, anopening in each of said, plates of a configuration registrable with saidcompartments, the opening in one plate being oppositely disposed to theopening in the .other plate, means for rotating said shaft and stopsco-acting therewith to position said plates so that the openings are `inregistry with said compartments, said rotating

